Chicken Biriyani

Taken from the Reader's Digest Great Recipes for Good Health Cookbooki. This quick version of the Indian dish is a perfect way to use up leftover chicken or turkey can be substituted.

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2⁄3 cup long grain rice
• 5  garlic cloves
• 1  cinnamon stick
• 1  bay leaf
• 1  small yellow onion, chopped
• 1  tablespoon fresh ginger, minced or 1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1  tablespoon lemon juice
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  coriander
• 1⁄2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1⁄8 teaspoon cardamom
• 1⁄8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1  cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 3  cups chicken, cooked and cubed
• 2  cups red cabbage, shredded
• 1  green apple, cored and cubed but not peeled (tart)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook the rice according to package directions, omitting the salt but adding 2 of the garlic cloves, the cinammon stick and the bay leaf. When rice is done, discard the garlic, cinnamon and bay leaf.
2. Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, make a paste of the onion, ginger, lemon juice, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, pepper and remaining garlic by blending for 10 to 15 seconds.
3. Transfer the past to a large bowl and blend in the hyogurt. Add teh chicken, tossing to coat well.
4. Place the rice in an ungreased shallow 1 1/2 quart casserole, spoon the chicken mixture on top, cover, and bake for 35 minutes. Toward the end of the baking period, steam the cabbage for 10 minutes over boiling water until it is tender but still crisp.
5. Cluster the cabbage and apple in the center of the biriyani casserole. Serve immediately.